Welding cage spreader plates

[Mach1]

How do you guys weld the plate to thin sheetmetal and keep it looking good? The only way I know how is to tack, tack, tack, but it looks like shit.

[CJ]

How do you guys weld the plate to thin sheetmetal and keep it looking good? The only way I know how is to tack, tack, tack, but it looks like shit.

I was welding sheet metal to pipe this last weekend, I just tacked it and ran beads between the two skipping every other one and then came back and finished it. Came out well and didn't warp.

[Matt]

Point gun at plate letting the weld bead roll onto the sheet metal.

[Mach1]

Point gun at plate letting the weld bead roll onto the sheet metal.

got any pics of the finished product with this method?

[turbostang]

got any pics of the finished product with this method?

What he's talking about is very easy to do. If you're welding in a 90* corner like shown below - you'd put the gun in the 45* position, pointed about 1/16" above the sheetmetal. The weld burns into the SFC and the sheer heat from that weld is enough to burn into/through the sheetmetal floor below.

it's not close enough to illustrate what he's talking about, but you get the idea.


(this is speaking of the MIG weld in the corner, not the TIG weld I am doing in the pic)

[Matt]

If you are using MIG instead of TIG you will want your wire to push into the thicker plate. It is very easy to burn through the sheet metal. I usually either go in a circular or a whipping pattern to help not burn through the thinner material. I don't have any pics off hand of how I hold the torch, but I do have some one my camera I need to upload that will show the finished weld with my method.